Florida is undertaking the first phase of its 3-part reopening plan while keeping an eye on coronavirus numbers

• In early May, some counties in Florida began the first of three phases to reopen the economy. By May 18, the whole state was in phase one.
• Under this phase, seniors and people with immune deficiencies have been asked to remain home.
• Restaurants, gyms, libraries, and stores are allowed to reopen at 50% capacity.

Florida was one of the last states to issue lockdown orders and is now one of the first to reopen.

After weeks of resisting a coronavirus lockdown, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' issued a state-wide stay-at-home order on April 1. But about a month after the order was put in place, some counties began the first phase of a three-phase plan for reopening in early June.

As of Monday, the whole state had begun its first step of the process, which allows for the reopening of retail stores, restaurants, personal grooming businesses, and gyms at 50% capacity.

There have been 46,442 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Florida, and 1,997 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

While the state saw two sudden spikes in cases in April, the state's health officials have said that the curve has begun to flatten in recent weeks, with an average of less than 700 new cases a day, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

DeSantis has said that state hospitals can handle that number of new cases, The Tampa Bay Times reported.

It's become increasingly unclear, though, whether the recent data being released by the state has been censored ahead of the reopening plan.

This week, the state's top data researcher who led the team that engineered the state's COVID-19 dashboard, announced that she had been fired after refusing to manipulate coronavirus data before it was released to the public.

In an email to other researchers announcing her departure, Jones said that her office is no longer involved in the publication of the data, fixing errors or answering questions, according to Florida Today.

"As a word of caution, I would not expect the new team to continue the same level of accessibility and transparency that I made central to the process during the first two months," she wrote in the email. "After all, my commitment to both is largely (arguably entirely) the reason I am no longer managing it."

Phase one allows for limited occupancy of stores, restaurants, and gyms

Only three weeks after the state's lockdown order was put into place, some public beaches began to reopen last month.

Minutes after beaches in North Florida were reopened on April 17, hundreds of locals flooded the sand.

The rush came on the same day that Florida saw 1,400 new infections

Now, a few weeks later, the whole state has entered the first phase of DeSantis' "Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step" plan for reopening. This phase allows stores, restaurants, and gyms to open at limited capacity.

Museums and libraries are allowed to open at 50% capacity as long as they get approval from the local government approval.

Professional sports venues are allowed to open for games and training, but are required to limit occupancy to 25 percent of the building's capacity.

During this phase, bars that make more than 50% of their revenue from alcohol sales and movie theatres are expected to stay closed. Local government meetings are also to remain suspended.

People are still expected to avoid social gatherings of more than ten people and employers are advised to allow telework when practical.

If employers do expect their workers to come in, they are asked to screen everyone for COVID-19 symptoms and check their temperatures.

Phase two allows for non-essential travel and the reopening of bars

The state will begin its second phase of reopening when "there is no evidence of a rebound or resurgence of COVID-19 cases," according to the state plan.

When the benchmarks are met and the state enters its next phase, bars and nightclubs will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent occupancy. Gyms, restaurants, and stores can boost their occupancy to 75% but should maintain increased sanitizing.

During phase two, non-essential travel is allowed but businesses should continue to limit work travel.

At this point, vacation rentals can resume for in-state residents.

Vulnerable populations are still expected to stay home.

Phase three allows for vulnerable people to resume social gatherings, and businesses to operate at full capacity

The final phase of reopening will likely allow for businesses to reopen at full capacity with limited social distancing, and continued thorough cleaning.

By this time, people who are over 65 or have immune deficiencies will be able to start to socialize again, but should practice social distancing. Even healthy, young people should "consider minimizing time spent in crowded environments."

Employees should resume unrestricted staffing and implement the final phases or returning staff to work. For vulnerable populations, telework "can be considered," the plan says.

"Employers should take prudent and practical measures to ensure employees do not enter the premises if they believe they are infected with COVID-19 or show symptoms of influenza-like illness," the plan says.

Business Insider reached out to the state's Department of Health to find out whether there is a plan for how long each phase is expected to last, or whether the state can go back a phase if there is a resurgence in cases, but the request for comment was not immediately returned.

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